For Centuries - Season 1 [Completed]

Episode 26

"Overcome", Better Than Ezra

After three days, we reached a turning point. James was obsessed with the thirst and animal blood was not enough yet. He would adapt at some point but, before that, he had to fight it. When I woke up, I found him at the exact same spot I had left him the night before. His breathing was frantic and he was very pale.

I brought him a cup of blood but before I could say anything he jumped at me, knocking the cup down with a hand move and showing his teeth. I stayed still. "You have to control yourself. I know you do not want to hurt me." 

He came closer. While I stared at him, I could see he was struggling. "You can do it," I said. "I know you can."

He stepped back and sat down on the couch, his head in his hands. I brought him another cup of blood and sat next to him. "I can ease the pain for a moment if you want." 

He nodded and I put my hand on the back of his neck. He shivered. "Think about a place where you feel safe."

I then built for us the picture he sent me: a balcony in a beautiful New York apartment. We could see the lights of the city in the night. There was a light breeze and some very old blues coming from a record player in the living room.

He smiled. "Thank you. I cannot feel the tension anymore. I can breathe."

"You are going to get through it."

We sat for a moment, listening to the melody of the city sounds. He resisted at first, as if enjoying the moment would have exposed him to the possibility of collapsing but the place started to get to him.

I did not want to ask him about where we were. I could feel it was a memory and not something from his imagination. The light from the apartment was drawing soft shadows to the plants which surrounded us. On a bench against the wall, there was a book with a blue cover, and on a table, two empty glasses of wine. We were alone but it felt like someone had left the apartment just a few minutes before.

James leaned on the balustrade. He turned away and cried in silence. I hesitated, not knowing what he needed, before deciding to follow my instinct. While I wrapped my arm around him, he did not resist. I was still holding him when we had to leave his safe place and come back to reality. The tension in his body reappeared almost instantaneously.

Unfortunately, it was at this exact moment that I heard a key in the lock. Aidan entered the room and James stood up in a second as if he were struck by lightning. His face changed and he lost control. I stood up too but I did not have the time to react as James had already jumped on me. I felt his mouth on my skin and his teeth cutting my neck. Aidan pushed him violently against the wall.

"Aidan, what are you doing here?" I said with my hand on my wound.

He did not answer. James and he stared at each other with rage. "If you touch her again, ..." Aidan trailed off.

"Leave him alone," I said in as steady a voice as I could. He looked at me and tried to calm down as he stepped back.

James was completely lost. "I'm sorry," he said. And he ran out of the apartment.

"James, please, stay." 

I tried to reach him but I was struck by another vision of Aidan's past. The brutality of it hit me like a punch in the stomach. I could not move but I felt everything. I could feel the fear in the victims' minds and the rage in Aidan's heart. I raised my hand in front of my face. I felt sick.

"Are you alright? Is it another vision?" Aidan asked.

He tried to put his hand on my shoulder but I stepped away from him. 

"I... I cannot right now," I said. "Why did you come here? Do you understand what you have done? James cannot be alone in the streets right now."

"I was worried and I was right to be."

"Worried about what? He cannot really hurt me. And he bit me because he was upset: he lost control when he saw you."

The visions hit me again. More victims, more blood. 

"I need some space. I cannot talk to you right now. Please leave." 

Aidan stared at me, confused. 

"Get out," I said louder.

He took a glass on the table and opened his wrist to leave me some blood. Then he left without a word. I leaned back on the door and slid down slowly on the floor, shaking.